Kurt Angle: Should WWE Be Angling for His Return?

The sudden appearance of a Kurt Angle profile on the Alumni page of WWE.com has sparked plenty of chatter and speculation about a possible return to the company.

Of course, it could be completely meaningless. He’s a WWE alumnus, so he belongs on the page. Better late than never, perhaps.

But it does seem peculiar that, out of the blue, WWE would choose to showcase a guy who remains one of the most recognized and respected wrestlers for WWE’s closest competitor (even though it’s highly debatable whether TNA is a competitor at all).

The seeming randomness of Angle’s appearance on the WWE website does beg the question: is WWE planting the seeds for Angle’s return to the big leagues? Is it merely a goodwill gesture toward one of the greatest performers to set foot in the WWE ring? Could WWE already be thinking of Angle for a future Hall of Fame induction — an honor he surely deserves?

It seems unlikely that WWE is interested in a full-time return for Angle, who is battered and bruised beyond his 44 years. Particularly after Jerry Lawler’s high-profile heart attack, WWE bigwigs are keenly aware that the media would pounce on the story of an older wrestler getting hurt in the ring.

On the current active WWE roster, only the Undertaker is older than Angle — and he only wrestles once or twice a year.

Mind you, Angle can still deliver hugely athletic and entertaining matches. He is relentlessly competitive and hugely talented, so he could still deliver the kind of match WWE fans remember him for.

So maybe WWE is interested in bringing him back for a part-time run — a long-building feud with a big payoff, similar to the roles held by The Rock and Brock Lesnar. This seems far more likely than a full-schedule return, and potentially a very good idea.

After WrestleMania, WWE might be looking for a new nemesis for Brock Lesnar, since he was recently signed to a two-year contract extension. Lesnar and Angle put on a hell of a match at WrestleMania 19 (despite Lensar almost crippling himself with a botched shooting star press), and a rematch would be a natural draw.

Or perhaps even more intriguing would be a long-awaited feud with Jack Swagger. WWE might be looking for the perfect hero to uphold true American values against the xenophobic rhetoric of Swagger and Zeb Colter.

Image via photopops.deviantart.com

Fans have been dreaming about a Swagger/Angle match for years — Swagger has been dubbed “the next Kurt Angle” many times, due to his stellar amateur background — and there’s every reason to believe the two stars would deliver a doozy.

So far, Swagger and Angle have been mostly complimentary of one another:

“I mean, honestly, I’m a big fan of Kurt,” Swagger has said. “He’s one of the reasons I wanted to wrestle, I admired him as an amateur wrestler and admired him even more as a professional wrestler. To be compared to him, it’s an honor, but at the same time, I think both of us are different people and different wrestlers. It might be apples to oranges, but at the same time it’s nice to be in that category.”

Angle has returned the compliment, though with fewer words: “I like him. He’s a good wrestler.”

Of course, WWE could easily ignore such past niceties — especially now that Swagger is a heel — and build an adversarial storyline for the duo. Angle would be the older, wiser Olympic hero, disgusted by how Swagger is wasting his talents by representing a backwards form of patriotism.

Both men are enormously competitive, and you can bet that they’d love the chance to test one another in the ring.

Of course, this is all speculation based on what might have been a meaningless bit of housekeeping on the WWE website. All the guesswork overlooks one thing: Angle is under contract with TNA.

Earlier this month, Angle told a Pittsburgh radio host that he still has “another year and a half” on his TNA contract, which means he wouldn’t be a free agent again until late-2014. He added that retirement is coming relatively soon.

“I do plan on going probably uh two to three years, and I’m done,” he told John Phillips on 93.7 The Fan. “I will retire and.. when I’m retired that means I’m done. That doesn’t mean I’m going to retire and come back. It means I’m finished with it for good.”

If history is any indication, though, Angle’s TNA contract is hardly a major impediment. Wrestlers frequently get released from their contracts, and it’s never wise to underestimate the prowess of WWE’s lawyers. If WWE really wants Angle, there’s almost certainly a way to make it happen.

Angle would probably insist he is capable of one more stellar run in WWE (after all, he has made bold claims about MMA and the Olympics). Whether he gets the opportunity will depend on whether the WWE brass believe it’s (damn) true.

I honestly would like to see Kurt Angle (among others) back in for a last run, a good run. Swagger might the one who comes to mind at first for a face off, I think I might prefer see something between Angle and Bryan or Del Rio, Ziggler maybe. Anyway, wasn’t Jeff Hardy featured on wwe.com recently ? Apparently this did not mean much, so let’s wait and see …

JohnPriceNJ

As much as i would want him to return even if its like a chris Jericho kind of deal i don’t really have much faith in it happening but i hope im surprised & it does

unc4life15

This really is not a big deal, WWE over the last couple months have added Jeff Hardy, Tazz, and the Dudley Boyz to the alumni page. So why would Kurt Angle being on there now spark rumors, when all of those other guys have signed long term deals with TNA.

CMmox

If he would come back WWE should consider CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Jack Swagger as his potential opponents.

Rob

Just had a wrestling orgasm thinking of Daniel Bryan vs Kurt Angle!

CMmox

Thanks for sharing.. xD

DBry vs Angle, 2 out of 3 falls or submissions could make for awesome matches. I don’t say Iron Man cause of Angle’s lack of stamina. I would F’N mark out if Punk and Bryan had an Iron Man match, though.

Z….

ANGLE’S LACK OF STAMINA?!?! I’m sorry, but wow. Its your opinion, but all I’m saying is that Kurt Angle is a freaking machine, even at his age

CMmox

Bro, he is 44 years old. Do you think he could last 1 hour nonstop in the ring?

Z….

I honestly believe he could put on a 60 minute iron man match with bryan danielson or anyone else in that caliber and it would be an amazing match. Even at his age. I dont really understand anything about it, but Kurt Angle is not human. I’m saying it right now. He continues to do things that amaze me. I just cant doubt Kurt Angle after all that I’ve seen him do

CMmox

haha Kurt is inhuman alright! But maybe it could happen only against a good wrestler that could also carry some spots. Wrestlers like Bryan (as you mentioned), Punk, Joe, etc. For example I couldn’t see him in an Iron Man match against someone like Cena or Ryback (lol he would die in like 20 mins with Kurt in the ring).

Z….

well obviously Cena and those like him couldnt go an hour with kurt. that goes without saying

SdotC

Let me help you understand it… Kurt Angle is a painkiller addict. That’s why he can still perform at the level he does, and that’s also probably why he’s still in TNA. I’m an ex-addict myself (bad surgery on my back left me hooked) and Kurt has all the tell-tale signs of long-term use. Not that I could blame him for taking pain pills, but if he abused them to the point that WWE told him to go to rehab in ’06, it’s gotta be pretty bad. He claims he’s off them now… but he also claimed he was going to run for mayor, and then cursed CM Punk out later that night.

UMpunkBLN

Angle vs Swagger would be freakin awesome

Z….

you could literally watch Angle/Lesnar matches for hours. It has to be one of the best in ring feuds that I can think of.

CMmox

Benoit-Angle as well.

Z….

Angle and AJ, Angle and Joe, Angle and Nigel, plenty of others that i didnt mention, but Kurt has been involved in some amazing in ring feuds

http://www.facebook.com/jaydn.lebsanft Jaydn Lebsanft

im sure kurt will return one day but i just dont see it been a full return or him returing anytime soon i just think some fans expect him to be on wwe as soon as he leaves tna

http://twitter.com/AdamDJTbrand Adam Thompson

Kurt Angle will never go hack to WWE unless Vince and HHH are no longer running it and it has a good atmosphere like TNA.
Angle has been even better in TNA than WWE, and like many, Angle would rather work in a small restaurant than McDonalds.

Nope

Did you say “good atmosphere like TNA?” Surely, you’re joking. cunt.

http://www.facebook.com/adamdjt Adam Daniel John Thompson

That’s words from Kurt Angle himself.He pretty much said he’ll never go back to WWE and that he loves TNA. He never said such nice things about WWE even when he was its champ. WWE isn’t as bad backstage as it used to, but it’s still terrible.

http://www.facebook.com/JuanitaNJerome.Cregg Juanita N Jerome Cregg

Your fukin on drugs to say that $hit wtf

SdotC

Lol, are you trolling or something? Is that “better atmosphere” the one where the mother of his children leaves him for his boss? And I’m sure Kurt prefers the Impact Zone to MetLife Stadium. When Kurt talks about TNA’s “better atmosphere”, he means a place where he doesn’t have to work hard, and more importantly, is allowed to stay heavily addicted to pain killers while getting drunk and humiliating himself on Twitter. Maybe THAT’S what you meant by “unless the McMahons are gone”, because he knows WWE would force him to get his sht together, whereas TNA is just happy to have a former WWE champion on their roster.

Oh, and “even better” in TNA? Dude, how stupid are you? Sure, he’s had a few great matches in TNA, but there was a time when Kurt ONLY had great matches. He’s a shell of the shell he was in 2006. You’re clearly just a TNA mark, but let me tell you this– if you think that 2013 Kurt Angle is still so elite that he can go to any company and be a top star on a whim, you’re a complete idiot. You’re probably the kind of person who believes Kurt when he says his Twitter was hacked. And I get the feeling that you own a “Wrestling Matters” shirt, too. Loool!

Sorry to rag on you so hard, but dude, get a clue. Kurt is a liar who’s somehow convinced you (and the author of this article), that he’s still relevant.

SdotC

I forgot to mention in my huge rant about the fail that Kurt has become, but since this TNA mark said TNA Kurt is better than WWE Kurt…let’s say you believe Kurt when he says he went to TNA to work with guys like Joe, instead of the truth that he didn’t want to go to rehab. Let’s say you believe that Kurt is fine with jobbing to Jeff Jarrett of all people in “real fight exhibitions”, and that he’d actually rather be there than in WWE. Let’s say you believe that Kurt’s had more consistently great matches in TNA than he did in WWE…

…is it even remotely possible to argue that the character of Kurt Angle is more entertaining? The guy who once drove a milk truck into the arena, who could make you pee yourself laughing, then scare you with his intensity… and now he’s just another bland character.

Everything I just said… oh it’s true, it’s gosh-darn true!

Allan Diñoso

Vince once said in an interview that he wwe has no competitor, I guess he never consider tna a competitor so its a reason he puts some former wwe stars which are current tna stars in the alumni page

http://www.facebook.com/JuanitaNJerome.Cregg Juanita N Jerome Cregg

Angle & orton 3.
Orton got alot better since they last wrestle. Plenty of feuds 4 him. Cesaro & kurt will be a great feud. Damn I miss kurt!!!

Rg41982

Swagger is no where as intense as angle. He has a lot to prove has to be Brock or adr mma style I think they would put on a great match.

http://twitter.com/tvcolosi Tommy Colosi

Last week he tweeted the following..

“I’m Not Retiring Soon. I Will Wrestle for a few More Years. Where?”

Then

“But I love TNA. Hmmm,,,”
I think he get a small run and then the HoF induction before he hangs them up.

SdotC

Lol, dude, stop following Kurt on Twitter. WWE does NOT want him back. You think they want a guy who goes on drunken Tweet tirades, who’s heavily addicted to painkillers and can’t work a real schedule anymore? Even if they just wanted him back for a Mania match and a HoF induction, if he can’t get his act together, it won’t happen. Kurt can tweet all he wants about how he’s “happier in TNA” and it’s “a great atmosphere where my wife bangs coworkers”, but what he really means is “I’m in no condition to go crawling back to Vince”. Kurt left for TNA, not to work with Samoa Joe, but to avoid having to go to rehab. That’s a fact. Kurt is one of the biggest liars in the business. He lies about stuff he doesn’t even have to lie about. If you follow his Twitter, then maybe you saw his drunken tweets about how he’s running for mayor, and his plan to work that into one day being a governor, then cursed out CM Punk not even 4 hours later. It’s a shame.

Mandaloo

I see someone’s been giving thumbs down to all o the comments.. *Cough* Lisa *Cough*

http://twitter.com/JonnyLangton Jonny Langton

undertaker is not the only one older, kane is 45

http://www.facebook.com/StrifeGooter Leigh Simpson

WWE has been adding a bunch of TNA guys’ on their alumni page lately, just because they can.